Riches to Rags
by R.I.Parson
Summary: The unruly Prince Hero has gotten on his parent's last nerve. With the threat of losing his claim to the throne, he is sent to Zephyr Town to run a farm  much to his displeasure  as a last resort to teach him some responsibility. On haitus.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon, nor any of its characters. They belong to a wonderful company, Natsume, which I love to bits and pieces.

Note: Yeah, this was something that I started writing while I was going back and forth between Fable 3 and HM: Grand Bazaar. I thought it would be fun. ^^: Er...enjoy?

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Prologue

"Something has to be done with that boy of ours, Scarlet. Hero knows nothing of responsibility, and his unruly demeanor has only increased over the years. If he is going to marry and rule the country, he needs to shake off his pubescent antics and become a man." The voice that spoke was strong, demanding the attention of the one-person audience that sat in the seat adjacent to its owner. King Xavier was a man in his late thirties, though the only symbol of his wisdom were the wrinkles that appeared around his eyes when he smiled or frowned. Not a strand of grey or silver hair could be found in the long chestnut tresses that fell over his broad shoulders in waves from under the golden crown that was perched upon his brow. With a well-kempt beard, none could see any lines that might have formed over the years. As the king reclined on the royal-purple sofa of the sitting-room, tea in hand, he allowed a heavy sigh to escape his perfect lips.

Like clockwork, the king and queen were having their Sunday Tea together in the octagonal-shaped room that was their salon, which was decorated with the colors of the royal family: purple and gold. Hero, their only son, was often the topic of their conversations. After the young prince had gotten past the awkward stages of puberty, he had become quite a handful. This fact grieved the king greatly. A frown tugged at the corners of the King's mouth.

"I hope you are aware that he gets these things from you. He is the spitting image of you when you were a teenager, Xavier." Queen Scarlet's retort was simple, a chime that rang sweetly in the warm air. So accustomed to the conversation, she did not even bother to glance up from her lowered lashes to gaze up at her husband while he talked. Instead, she stirred her sugar into her tea and supped quietly. With a delicate, heart-shaped face that was framed by raven ringlets, violet eyes, and plump lips, the woman who had wed the king was certainly a beauty. Many a man had sought her petite hand in matrimony, but it had been the young prince who had claimed her heart. In her early thirties, Scarlet was a few years younger than her husband, yet she seemed to have aged like a fine wine-to have only grown more beautiful over the years. Scarlet snickered at the expression of irritation that flickered across Xavier's countenance.

"And I'm surprised that my parents did not lop off my head before I became of age! Besides, even then I had a sense of obligation that allowed me to be active in the politics of my own country. Hero has never willingly sat in on a council meeting, nor has he paid any attention while attending one. All he wants to do is laze about the castle and flirt with anything that wears a skirt."

"Oh, and I'm certain that your genetics had _nothing_ to do with that, either!" A chime of laughter followed the Queen's jesting comment. Xavier had been quite the flirt in his youth, albeit he had not been as promiscuous as their son seemed to be. "Dearest, do try to get to the point of this conversation. I have heard most of these complaints before. What has Hero done this time? Did he attempt to run away? Did he elope with a maid?" She paused in an almost thoughtful manner. "Did he elope with a butler?"

"God, no! I'm just concerned that we have spoiled him to the point that he will remain rotten for the rest of his days. If that is the case, then I will not allow him to wear the crown," Xavier stated, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Unlike all other conversations that the two had previously about their son, never had it taken such a turn. This caused violet eyes to widen marginally in shock. The mere thought of taking away their only son's title to the throne seemed rather unreasonable, considering the fact that all adolescents went through a rebellious stage. More pressing was the question of who would take the throne if not the prince?

"But—who would succeed you?" Scarlet's eyes suddenly widened with apprehension. An understanding nod followed with a grim expression. "What do you plan to do?"

It was then that King Xavier sat his cup down upon the hand-carved mahogany table in front of the sofa. He strolled over to the large window, which overlooked the lush, rolling hills of his fair kingdom. Willowy fingers stroked the silken beard as he stared out at the terrain. "Our friend, King Samine, has spoken of a place called Zephyr Town. His son frequents this town during certain seasons with nothing transpiring. I have written to the mayor of the town, Felix, and have full confidence that our son would be safe," he started in a clear voice so that his wife would hear him correctly. She did hear, and she was quick to catch on. Scarlet jumped to her feet, eyes flashing.

"Xavier! You can't simply ship our son off to some foreign land!" The exclamation was anticipated by the king, who waved a hand in dismissal of her outburst. Scarlet was rather over-protective of her son, especially when it came to matters of him leaving the kingdom. Even the prospect of her child leaving the safety of the castle walls was one that she very grudgingly allowed. Hero claimed that she smothered him, and perhaps he was right in this aspect. This thought crossed the king's mind briefly before he offered a smile.

Making his way back to his wife, the king wrapped strong arms about her small waist and drew her near. "Hero will be fine, love. Zephyr town is a peaceful, small settlement," he murmured soothingly, stroking back raven locks. Scarlet's painted lower-lip protruded in an almost childish manner. Scarlet raised a delicate hand to pluck gently at the collar of his button-down shirt.

"I don't care if it is a steal-plated vault! We are not going to send our only son to some strange island by himself. Who knows what weirdos-" She did not get to finish her statement before her husband interrupted.

"Fine! We will send a guard with him, alright? You can even hand-pick it. Problem solved. Now, where was I? Ah! There is a farm that has been put up for sale." Though, Xavier highly doubted that a guard would be necessary. The image of Zephyr Town that had been illustrated by the mayor was one of a tranquility that matched that of his own kingdom. Had Scarlet read the letters, he was sure that her skeptical opinion would have been different.

The Queen raised a fine brow, pressing her lips together as if to suppress laughter. "You want the Prince to farm in order to gain the crown?" It was obvious that she thought it was a ludicrous idea.

"Let me finish!" Xavier chided, cupping her lovely face and tilting it up to face him. Chocolate eyes met with violet. "Zephyr town is working on raising the popularity of its Bazaar. If he works hard on the farm and helps in the Bazaar for two years, then perhaps he will learn some sense of responsibility." That concluded the explanation of his stratagem. A pause of silence followed before the queen pursed her lips.

"Do you really believe that this scheme will work?" Xavier nodded with a charming smile. With a roll of her eyes, the queen sighed in defeat. "Alright, dear, have it your way. I just hope that the town doesn't chase him off before the allotted two years."

A chuckle rumbled in the King's chest as he hugged her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You know," he purred gently, "one upside to shipping our son away would be that we would have more _alone_ time." To this Scarlet perked up, eyes sparkling with mischief. Fingers danced up the wide expanse of his chest; a playful smile bounced to her gorgeous face.

"Who said we had to have alone time?"

((Author's Note: Well, that's that! The introduction to my new fan-fiction! (: Hopefully, it was a good read. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated! 3 ))


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